THE BEGINNING: Genesis 11:6-9 And the LORD said, Behold, the people is one, and they have all one language; and this they begin to do: and now nothing will be restrained from them, which they have imagined to do. Go to, let us go down, and there confound their language, that they may not understand one another’s speech. So the LORD scattered them abroad from thence upon the face of all the earth: and they left off to build the city. Therefore is the name of it called Babel; because the LORD did there confound the language of all the earth: and from thence did the LORD scatter them abroad upon the face of all the earth.

After the flood man rebelled and attempted to build a tower to heaven. To end the construction of the tower, God put a curse upon man, it was the curse of Babel. This is where the many languages that exist in the world today come from.
“Who were the Apostles to preach to?” Matthew 28:19-20 “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost”.

But for the Apostles to preach to every nation the division caused by the curse of Babel, had to be overcome. The Apostles were Galileans who were not educated, and did not know many languages.
What did Christ do to enable his Apostles to preach to all these other nations?

Acts 1:8 “But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be my witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth”.

Acts 2:4 And they were all full of the Holy Spirit, and were talking in different languages, as the Spirit gave them power.

Here is this verse from four other popular Bible versions:

4 And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues as the Spirit gave to them to speak forth.
4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in different languages as the Spirit gave them power to proclaim the message.
4 They were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak in foreign languages according as the Spirit gave them words to utter.
4 and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, according as the Spirit was giving them to declare.

Acts 2:5-8 ¶ And there were dwelling at Jerusalem Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven. Now when this was noised abroad, the multitude came together, and were confounded, because that every man heard them speak in his own language. And they were all amazed and marvelled, saying one to another, Behold, are not all these which speak Galilaeans?

God empowered the Apostles with the holy Spirit and gave them the ability to speak in foreign tongues.

WHAT IS THIS GIFT TECHNICALLY CALLED?

The Technical term for the biblical gift is: xenoglossia. It is the true biblical gift of tongues. It is where a person is endued with the power to speak a foreign language that he was never learned. It is a TRUE LANGUAGE, and it is used to reach lost people who speak that language with the gospel.
[1st Corinthians 14:22]

So what do we have in many churches? There are three types of tongues in the Church world today. There is of course the true Gift; but then there is the counterfeits. The most prominent of these is Glossolalia.Glossolalia (glo se-la’le-a) it is defined as “fabricated and non-meaningful speech; especially speech that is associated with a trance or a schizophrenic syndrome. It is also called: GIBBERISH

It usually occurs when a person is in ecstasy (extremely happy) or in an emotional upheaval. It is usually preceded by the person repeating a word or a phrase faster than normal. As “Hallelujah... Hallelujah... Hallelujah” or “Jesus... Jesus... Jesus..”

glossolalia typically appears to be unpatterned reorganizations of phonemes (Syllables)
From the native language of the speaker,,, but without semantics, syntax and morphology.

For example, American glossolalia is usually made up of English syllables that are incoherent. As in “La, la la, sha, sha, na la, la”.

Many people in the “Charismatic” movement are taught, or learn by watching others to speak in Glossolalia. Also by their false doctrine that all Christians should speak in tongues, it is an expected action. Drum beats and fast music, with repetitive chorus are also helpful in bringing about the hypnotic state needed for Glossolalia.

Many people in this movement will pray with repetition. “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus”... Even though the bible commands us not to pray in repetition. Repeating a name or a word over and over is not biblical prayer.

Matthew 6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.

The more glossolalia is practiced, the easier it is to perform. Glossolalia is not a product of the holy Spirit, and it is often not a product of an evil spirit, it is a psychological disorder. Glossolalia happens to Religious and non-religious people, but especially to those who think it is “Supernatural” and that it is a type of “gift” because they THINK God is moving on them in a ‘special’ way.

Pagan religions throughout the world are frenzied with tongues. This is reflected in an article in the Journal of the American Scientific Affiliation entitled "An Ethnological Study of Glossolalia" by George J. Jennings, March 1968. Jennings observes that glossolalia is practiced amoung the following non-Christian religions of the world; the Peyote cult among the North American Indians, the Haida Indians of the Pacific Northwest, Shamans in the Sudan, the Shango cult of the West Coast of Africa, the Shago cult in Trinidad, the Voodoo cult in Haiti, the Aborigines of South American and Australia, the aboriginal peoples of the subarctic regions of North America and Asia, the Shamans in Greenland, the Dyaks of Borneo, the Zor cult of Ethiopia, the Siberian shamans, the Chaco Indians of South America, the Curanderos of the Andes, the Kinka in the African Sudan, the Thonga shamans of Africa, and the Tibetan monks.
Glossolalia does not make a person “BAD” or “HOLY”, it is not a spiritual phenomena but a psychological. Many ‘Good Christians’ experience Glossolalia and THINK it is the biblical gift of tongues.

THE SATANIC COUNTERFEIT

Then there is the Satanic counterfeit of xenoglossia. Where evil Spirits enable the speaker to speak in another language. For example the Indians in the Peyote Cult, was observed speaking in Sweden. Tibetan monks were observed speaking FRENCH, and in French they were cussing like drunken sailors. A man who was fluent in Hebrew visited a Pentecostal Church, and observed a woman speaking in ‘tongues’, the language was Hebrew, but instead of praising GOD she was cussing him.

TRYING THE SPIRITS

With glossolalia rampant today, and evil spirits moving on people with a counterfeit gift, what must we do? We must TRY or TEST the gifts.

Who did God give his Spirit without measure to? John 3:34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

Jesus was filled with the holy Spirit, more than any other person that has ever walked the earth. If we want to know how a Spirit filled person acts, all we have to do is look at Jesus Christ.

Should Jesus be our example in things concerning the holy Spirit? 1 Peter 2:21 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps:

Because Jesus was so filled with the Spirit what did he speak? We have just read in John 3:34 that because God had given Jesus the Spirit that he spoke the words of GOD. Is the Spirit related to the word of God?

Was Jesus very wise? Luke 2:40 And the child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom: and the grace of God was upon him.

Does the indwelling of the holy Spirit give us a strong mind? 2 Timothy 1:7 For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

Yes, the indwelling of God’s Spirit will give us a sound mind, along with the other fruits of the Spirit.

Is God the God of order? 1 Corinthians 14:33 For God is not the author of confusion, but of peace, as in all churches of the saints.

Yes GOD is a God of order, he is not a God of confusion. You can look at the work of the priests of the Old Testament and see that GOD was very particular and he did everything in order.

What did Jesus through Paul teach the church about order? 1 Corinthians 14:40 Let all things be done decently and in order.

What is part of the job of being a Pastor? Titus 1:5 For this cause left I thee in Crete, that thou shouldest set in order the things that are wanting, and ordain elders in every city, as I had appointed thee:

If God is not the author of Confusion, then who is? James 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

Confusion is the work of Satan.

Are there other ‘spirits’? 1 Corinthians 2:12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the spirit which is of God; that we might know the things that are freely given to us of God.

There is the Spirit of GOD and there is a Spirit of the World, or a spirit of Satan. One is a Spirit of order, of peace, of joy, of love, and of a sound mind. The other is a spirit of confusion, of excitement, and unstableness.

Did Paul warn the church that it was possible that it could receive ‘another spirit’? 2 Corinthians 11:4 For if he that cometh preacheth another Jesus, whom we have not preached, or if ye receive another spirit, which ye have not received, or another gospel, which ye have not accepted, ye might well bear with him.

Most churches today have accepted another Jesus, and a false gospel; so of course they will have another spirit.

Now we have seen that God is a God of order, and his Spirit causes things to be done decently and in order. Yet you have many churches who teach against order. They will even say the ‘spirit’ can’t work because of ‘order’.
TRYING THE SPIRITS

Should we try the spirits? 1 John 4:1 Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God: because many false prophets are gone out into the world.

God tells us that we should try the spirits, Paul even warned us that people would accept ‘another spirit’, which was not the TRUE holy Spirit.

Many people have been captured by this spirit of babel. They shrink in horror at the thought of questioning if the spirit that manifests its self in the churches is truly the holy Spirit. But there is no need to be afraid of obeying God.

What is one way to test the spirits? 1 John 4:2-3 Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God: and this is that spirit of antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it should come; and even now already is it in the world.

I have heard testimonies from people who have done this, who have asked the spirit that was trying to make them babel, if it confessed that Jesus had come in the flesh. When they did so it fled from them.

Will every Spirit filled Christian speak with another tongue? No! Did Jesus? Did John the Baptist? Who can deny that they were Spirit filled! What did Paul say? "Are all Apostles? (nope), Are all prophets? (nope) Are all teachers? (nope), Are workers of miracles? (nope), Have all gifts of healing? (nope), Do all speak with tongues? (Nope), Do all interpret? (Nope)" 1st Corinthians 12:30

Is tongues a FRUIT of conversion? Galatians 5:22-23 NO

Tongues is a gift, or a sign, and for what purpose is it given? It is a sign for UNBELIEVERS: 1 Corinthians 14:22 Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, but to them that believe not: but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe.

To witness to the lost in their language, which you did not learn is a great sign.

To speak in a language that the lost person cannot understand is Barbarianism: 1st Corinthians 14:11 Therefore if I know not the meaning of the voice, I shall be unto him that speaketh a barbarian, and he that speaketh shall be a barbarian unto me.

1 Corinthians 14:23 If therefore the whole church be come together into one place, and all speak with tongues, and there come in those that are unlearned, or unbelievers, will they not say that ye are mad?

WHAT ARE THE RULES SET FORTH FOR THE TRUE GIFT OF TONGUES?
No more than three speakers a service: 1st Corinthians 14:27 If any man speak in an unknown tongue, let it be by two, or at the most by three, and that by course; and let one interpret.
If no interpretor they are to remain silent: 1st Corinthians 14:28 But if there be no interpreter, let him keep silence in the church; and let him speak to himself, and to God.
Five words that are understood are better than 10 thousand in an unknown tongue: 1 Corinthians 14:19 Yet in the church I had rather speak five words with my understanding, that by my voice I might teach others also, than ten thousand words in an unknown tongue.
If people do not follow these commands are they spiritual? 1st Corinthians 14:37 If any man thinketh himself to be a prophet, or spiritual, let him take knowledge of the things which I write unto you, that they are the commandment of the Lord